Wild West Mayo

8 Day Escorted or Independent tour Our tour starts and finishes in the colourful town of Westport. We set off on our cycle around Lough Conn where fisherman cast off and patiently wait for the days catch. We head to the coast and the Ceide Fields. A unique archeological site of world importance where the remains of […]

Our tour starts and finishes in the colourful town of Westport. We set off on our cycle around Lough Conn where fisherman cast off and patiently wait for the days catch.
We head to the coast and the Ceide Fields. A unique archeological site of world importance where the remains of stone filled walls, houses and megalithic tombs are preserved beneath a blanket of peat over several square miles. As a field structure of over five and a half millennia, it is the oldest known field system in the world.
We continue our journey cycling along the Atlantic Coast to Ireland’s largest island Achill, where we are basing ourselves for two days. Achill is unspoilt by the havoc of the modern day and many of its beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status by the European Union.
Dramatic views of towering cliffs, majestic mountains and open moorland – nature at is most beautiful, all immortalized by the paintings of Paul Henry.

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1

Saturday Westport

You meet up in a hotel close to the rail and bus station, for a welcome drink from our guide.

Day 2

Sunday: Westport to Foxford 58km

Leaving the town on the Castlebar road, after a mile we turn onto the Western Way walking route. The route takes us along quiet backroads passing by lakes and bogland to our lunch stop After lunch there is some nice lakeside cycling around Lough Conn and then onto Lough Cullin, which brings us to our Hotel in Foxford.

Day 3

Monday: Foxford to Ballycastle 38km

You start the day by visiting the historic Woollen Mills in Foxford after which you head out on back roads to
follow along the eastern shore of Lough Conn before stopping for lunch in a pub. In the afternoon you again
follow quiet roads to Ballycastle.

Day 4

Tuesday: Ballycastle to Belmullet 68km

Heading West on the coast road with wonderful views looking out over the Atlantic, we come to Ceide Fields site of an ancient 5000-year-old cattle field system. It is the largest stone age site in Europe and there is an excellent interpretive centre here, which outlines the history of the site. Continuing on from the centre there is a dramatic cycle across open bogland with more wonderful coastal views all the way to the town of Belmullet.

Day 5

Wednesday: Belmullet to Achill 72km

Today, the cycle is around the Atlantic Coast through a wild barren landscape, past freshly cut fields of peat,
to the village of Mulranney and from there cycle onto Achill Island and the night stop. There may be an
option to cycle out on the isolated peninsula beyond Belmullet and take a fishing boat from Blacksod Point
across the Bay to Doogort on Achill Island. From here it is a short cycle to the village of Keel where you
spend the next two nights.

Day 6

Thursday: Rest day in Achill

There are several dramatic cycling routes around Achill the most impressive being the Atlantic Drive, with its wonderful coastal views and beautiful landscape. You can also head to Keem Bay for a swim on its white sandy beach. For those feeling energetic you could climb to the top of the nearby cliffs some of the highest in Europe, where you are rewarded with the most breathtaking views of the week.

Day 7

Friday: Achill to Westport 43km

Leaving the Island via the bridge at Achill sound, we continue on the World Class Great Western Greenway (www.greenway.ie). This is a 43.5km traffic free cycling and walking facility which primarily follows the line of the famous Great Western Midlands Railway, which closed in 1937. Its development has been made possible by agreement of local landowners who have allowed permissive access to users to pass through their lands.
This route offers gentle gradients and some of the most idyllic scenery in the west of Ireland. The route forms part of the National Cycle Network and it is the longest off road cycling experience in the Country!

Day 8

SaturdayAfter a final breakfast you start your journey back home.

Tour Rating- moderate

The Mayo Tour is the quietest of our routes in terms of traffic and offers up a wild windswept landscape full of changing light. The roads are all sealed and the route is designed to ensure that you spend most of the week on quiet back roads, away from the main tourist routes.